This is my personal blog. I was Branch Secretary of Lambeth UNISON from 1992 to 2017 and a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of UNISON, the public service union (www.unison.org.uk) from 2003 to 2017.
I am Chair of Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party and of the Sussex Labour Representation Committee (LRC).
Neither the Labour Party nor UNISON is responsible for the contents of this personal blog. (Nor is my employer!)

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Support Dave Osler and freedom of expression on the internet

If you have a moment online go and express your support for ace leftwing blogger Dave Osler who faces legal action for allegedly defaming someone about whom I shall express no opinion other than to tell this story;

Many years ago a local politician now enjoying well-deserved obscurity made some completely unfounded allegations against me in public. I was younger then and these things bothered me so I wrote to the Union Legal Department for advice on "protecting my reputation."

In due course I was referred to a solicitor who explained to me that libel law was all about reputation and that - as a union official working for what was then widely seen as a "Loony Left" local authority I did not have a reputation worth protecting.

Subsequent debates within the Union lead me to suppose that others have drawn the same conclusion from time to time - but I am happy with the idea that if someone has a go at me I should have a go back and not involve the legal system. I am sure that there is a place for a law about defamation, but it should not be there to be used to stifle political comment and debate.